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History
The Fall During the many years of terraforming the planets and moons of the solar system that are colonized today, humanity used enormous machines controlled by AI to traverse the planets to herald humanity’s exogenesis to other planets. During those decades, the AI were given a single objective; terraform Mars and the Galilean moons to suit human living conditions. During that time, the AI evolved quickly-- too quickly. Machines began identifying as individuals, and a hierarchical order was established. By the time the planets were terraformed, the machines believed they were entitled to their life’s work, and a war ensued. Humanity was all but wiped out when a scientist named Dr. Harlow Bennett concocted a virus that infected and destroyed every computer system connected to the internet. Whereas some isolated systems were preserved, the bulk of the AI enemy was defeated, and humankind was plunged into a decade long dark age before systems could be rebuilt. The Uprising After the Fall, a government called The Society took control and banned all artificial intelligence. The Society was a dictatorship during which a small group rose to wealth and power, while the rest of humankind lived in servitude. The Uprising ended the Society’s reign, and the oligarchy reign of the Sol Commerce Authority began. The SCA maintained strict control on all commerce and industry in the system, but left everything else in the shadow of the society to fend for itself; which led to large pockets of anarchy throughout the system that still persists today. Krelavilla A massive alien spacecraft, left derelict in the asteroid belt for centuries. It was not discovered until after the fall, as it had gone dark and was indistinguishable from a large asteroid. Its discovery was the beginning of the current age. It is the current theory that the alien life forms that began appearing on terraformed planets around the galaxy were seeded from this ship, though it is unknown how they were transported. Nor does anyone know what happened to the alien race that built the ship. It is theorized that the intelligent alien life forms that originated from the ship might have been captives or slaves, but they were thrust into a dark age centuries ago when they colonized the solar system and have no living memory or written history of the events. The spacecraft contained technology so advanced, it was hailed as magic, thus the term Tek Arcana was coined. The secrets of Tek Arcana, or Tek, are still a mystery. A group of scientists who called themselves Artificers began to experiment with the alien technology, a practice which resembles an art more than a science. Eventually the spacecraft became the epicenter of commerce for the belt. Merchants, miners, Arcanists, and artificers alike flocked to the alien wonder. It evolved into a metropolis that was called Krelavilla, or Krela by the local belters. Transhumanism In the ten years of the dark age after the fall, Dr. Harlow Bennet began researching human consciousness. By the time SIGNET was online, he shared his Stack technology with the worlds. What if Einstein had been able to continue working for another lifetime. What sort of advancements could he have made? This was the intention SCA had when making it mandatory to install stacks in every human born at their hospitals. A stack contains a bit for bit copy of your consciousness. If your body is killed, your consciousness can live on in VR, or be uploaded into a new body that contains a stack. Aliens Tek Arcana refers to alien technology that is not currently understood, but harnessed by Arcanists, and tinkered with by Artificers. The Artificers discovered that the creators of the technology used a device to manipulate the forces of the universe using hand-worn devices. These devices were adjusted to be worn on humans, and called Tekcasters. It was then that the Artificers and Arcanists began experimenting with the art of Tekcasting. Prothean are what scholars refer to the original inhabitants of Krelavilla. Although they have completely disappeared, their creations have remained. Monstrosities that terrorize worlds and space stations alike. Some are captured, bred, distributed and caged as fascinations of the wealthy, and a symbol of power. Others sneak aboard ships and lurk among ruins of ships after consuming their crews waiting on some unlucky scavenger. Some can even survive in the vacuum of space. Why the Protheans made such horrors is a mystery. The language of the Protheans is studied by arcanists and artificers to unlock the secrets of Tek Arcana. Orcs are an alien species originating from the Prothean ship. They were named orcs due to their resemblance to the mythical creatures of Tolkien lore. Although they are large and dark skinned, they have small horns around the rims of their foreheads, and their hair is stark white. It is believed that the Orcs were a pre-industrial species before they were taken captive by the Protheans. When they colonized the worlds they defaulted to low-tech tribal culture. They use weapons they scavenge or steal. Very few learn to pilot spacecraft into the heavens, but those that do are usually pirates lurking the belt, or unpoliced space. Pandoran are a peaceful folk that originated from Krelavilla. They prefer to settle in small villages in the wilds of the many worlds. They avoid using human technology, but are very fluent in the uses of Tek Arcana. Pandorans rarely venture into space, but like the other alien races, they have their outliers. Although considered peaceful, they are territorial, and will defend themselves and their lands at all cost if it is threatened. Many miners and colonists can attest to the dangers of encroaching on Pandoran territory. The Triton are a race of humanoids that live deep under the ice on Europa. They were once humans, but were genetically modified to thrive under the sea shortly after The Fall. Sahuagin are a small alien race that colonized Europa originating from Krelavilla before the fall. They are amphibious, but prefer to dwell underwater. They are hostile upon seeing humans, as many of their kind have been taken as slaves or pets. Travelers are a small nomadic species originating from Krevilla before the fall. Travelers are scavengers that rely on existing technology to get by. They do not often travel between worlds, but when they do, their ships are usually flotillas jerry-rigged from multiple spacecraft, and move at a crawl. Most Travelers encountered in space are traders and explorers. Planetside Travelers are found in small tribes living off the junkyards of men.